[quote]New Gates Funding Will Enable MVI and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals to Complete Development of World’s Most Advanced Malaria Vaccine Candidate
GlaxoSmithKline
10/31/2005 10:44:57 AM
Collaborators Will Expand Clinical Evaluation of Malaria Vaccine Candidate in Infants in Preparation for Large-Scale Efficacy Trials
Bethesda, MD, US and London, UK (Oct. 30, 2005)  In an important step toward developing an effective malaria vaccine, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a $107.6 million grant to the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) to extend the public-private partnership between MVI and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Bio) to develop GSK’s malaria vaccine for children in Africa.
The new project will expand clinical evaluation of the world’s most advanced malaria vaccine candidate, known as RTS,S. If all the project milestones are achieved, this landmark agreement will take the vaccine through licensure and introduction to African immunization programs.
A 2004 proof-of-concept trial in Mozambiquefound that the vaccine reduced severe malaria by 58 percent in children ages one to four. The new trials will include studies to assess this promising vaccine candidate in younger age-groups including infants, the groups that suffer most from malaria and that would benefit the most from an effective vaccine against the disease.
Most of the new grant will directly support clinical trials in Africa. From its own funds, GSK will at least match the $21.4 million it receives from MVI to help defray some of the clinical development costs.
"Malaria takes the lives of more than one million people every year, most of them young children under five years old. We must have new tools to fight this deadly disease," said Dr. Melinda Moree, director of MVI, a global program created to accelerate development of malaria vaccines for poor countries. “The science is there, the will and commitment are there, and now we have a partnership among the right players to drive the development of this vaccine forward at a pace commensurate with the misery caused by malaria. We appreciate the Gates Foundation’s confidence and investment in the project."
MVI and GSK Biologicals, which first entered into collaboration in 2000 to develop the vaccine for children, will launch small-scale trials in infants and young children and then proceed to a large-scale Phase III clinical trial to determine the efficacy of the vaccine. The clinical trials will be conducted in several African countries.
“This is a key step toward development of the most promising malaria vaccine candidate,â€
